Older Brother
by Chrysten
Summary: Serena is adopted by a wealthy couple who has just lost a daughter in an accident. When Serena gets accepted to college in the United States, she is practically forced to move in with her mysterious, aloof older brother, whom she has not seen in 8 years.
1. Chapter 1: First Impression

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.

Chapter 1: First Impression

Her brother was back. She looked down at her watch. His plane should have arrived two hours ago and he was probably resting in his room now. She hadn't seen him in almost eight years, and she wouldn't even have remembered his face had it not been for the pictures he had sent over the years. For all those years that he had been away at college, he had not bothered to come home. He was almost a stranger to her. She guessed it was partially her fault for not being able to attend both of his graduation ceremonies.

"I can't wait to meet this mysterious older brother of yours."

Mina's voice jerked Serena out of her thoughts. Serena found herself back at the café, sitting at a round table surrounded by her friends. She had been prone to pondering in her own world more often ever since she had heard that her brother would be back.

"He can't be all that great. He did ignore his family for eight years," said Rei.

"It's not like he cut off all contact. He did call home, and he was probably really busy. Business school probably isn't exactly a piece of cake," replied Ami. Ami had always been the one to give people the benefit of doubt.

Rei made a choked noise after taking a sip of her iced coffee. "Are you serious? No one is so busy that they can't even come home for Christmas. Americans love Christmas! They wouldn't force anyone to work on Christmas."

Mina shrugged in her usual flippant manner. "He doesn't look too bad. He seems like a good-looking guy from that picture. It's either that or he's very photogenic."

"That's exactly the point," Rei sighed, irritated. "We don't even know what the man looks like. Not even Serena, and she's his sister."

"Maybe it has something to do with the fact that she's not blood-related to him," Mina mused. As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Mina wanted to take them back. An awkward silence immediately spread over the table, and everyone looked cautiously at Serena, waiting for a reaction. Receiving no response, Rei carefully put a hand on Serena's shoulder.

"Forget what Mina said. She was just babbling as always."

"Yeah, Serena. You should head back now. Your family is probably waiting for you," said Ami, always the sensible one.

Serena smiled in an effort to convince her friends that she was ok. "You're right. I should head back. It's almost time for dinner." She stood up. "I'll update you guys on everything later." Turning towards the exit, she walked away slowly from the table as she waved.

Serena stood in front of her front door, not knowing as to why she was so nervous. Suddenly the house seemed even bigger than usual and seemed to cast an ominous shadow over her small frame. She was being ridiculous. There was no reason for her to be nervous. She had been a part of this family for almost nine years, and this was her home. Sighing, she entered the house.

"Serena, you're home! Come say hi to your brother! We're all waiting in the dining room for you."

Upon hearing her mother's words, Serena suddenly felt as if she didn't belong. Shaking off this feeling and putting on a smile, she entered the dining room and immediately locked eyes with a man who had a striking resemblance to her older brother's picture.

"Darien, this is your little sister Serena. Hasn't she grown so much?"

Darien gave Serena a little nod and turned to his mother, "Yes, she has. I could hardly recognize her."

"Well sit down," her father motioned to her. "We can finally eat, now that you're here."

Serena sat down across from Darien as her mother called the maid to bring in the food. Her brother was a very handsome man. The pictures didn't do him justice. She was so fixated on his features to notice that her father had been talking to her and was now waiting for her answer.

Kenneth laughed when his daughter blinked and looked at him in confusion. "I asked, how do you feel about moving in with your brother after you graduate?"

At the lack of response, Irene smiled at her daughter, "Your college is just a few blocks away from Darien's new apartment. This way, you don't have to live in one of those insufferable dormitories. Plus, wouldn't it be wonderful living with your brother?"

Serena was at a loss for words. There was no doubt in her mind that his apartment would be more comfortable than a dorm room, but she barely knew the man. She looked across the table at her brother. He wore no expression on his face and was currently occupied with his meal. When she looked at her parents' faces, she knew she couldn't say no. Her parents looked as if they had already decided this issue.

"Well, if Darien doesn't mind," she trailed off, looking at her brother expectantly.

Before taking a sip of his wine, Darien said curtly, "I don't mind."

Irene's face lit up. "Great! It's settled then."

Dinner was painfully dragged out for Serena. Finding an interesting topic to discuss or joining the conversation seemed impossible that night. As a result, Serena found that she could only sit still and listen as her family conversed and caught up. Her parents were doing most of the talking and her brother nodded and offered a few words when necessary.

He had a deep, silky voice and Serena found herself wishing he used it more often. Stealing a glance, she thought to herself that he had nice manners and wondered if he had a girlfriend. Almost immediately, Serena shook her head and had to remind herself not to let her mind wander. Excusing herself after dessert, she went upstairs to her room and ungracefully plopped down on her queen-sized bed. The phone disrupted the silence in the spacious room, the shrill ring tone echoing off of the pink walls.

"Hello?" Serena answered.

"So, how did it feel?" Mina's voice was on the other end.

"We didn't really talk much."

"It's understandable that there would be some awkwardness."

"It turns out that I'm going to be living with him for the next four years." There was a pregnant pause.

"What?" Mina asked, not knowing if she heard correctly.

"Yeah. Apparently, my parents think it's a great idea. They probably want us to bond or something."

"Is that why he came back to Japan? To usher you to the States?"

Serena frowned. She hadn't thought about that. If that was true, then her parents and her brother had planned this some time ago.

"Anyway," Mina continued, "when do you move in with him?"

"Two weeks from today." Mina's pout could almost be heard.

"You're coming with us to the beach next week, right?" Serena hesitated, not knowing if her parents had planned anything for her.

"Serena," Mina whined, "We only have two weeks left!"

"Alright, alright. I'll go."

Putting on the designer one-piece swimsuit and white sundress that her mother had lain out on her bed that morning, Serena picked up her beach bag and descended her stairs. She was almost out the door when her mother called out.

"Serena, why don't you let Darien give you a ride?" Just as she was about to refuse, she saw Darien walking down the stairs with the keys to his BMW.

"Ready to go?" Without waiting for an answer, he walked straight past her and opened the door. Serena murmured a 'thank you' after a slight pause and walked through the opened door.

Arriving at the car, Serena unknowingly expected him to open the car door for her, but was left standing outside when he got into the car without a word. Blushing out of embarrassment, she quickly got in the passenger seat as Darien started the engine. Now that she thought about it, her mother had just forced her and Darien together for the third time this week. She frowned at this realization.

"Is something wrong?" Serena's startled eyes looked over at Darien to see him staring at the road in front of him.

"You were frowning."

"Oh," said Serena, feeling a little stupid for not being able to find anything else to say. "I'm fine."

Both remained silent. Serena wondered if her brother also thought the silence was awkward. She was about to say something when he spoke.

"She controls you."

Confused, she frowned and asked, "Who?"

"Our mother." He glanced sideways to see her looking down at her lap. The frown remained on her face.

"You're a doll," he stated casually. Her eyes widened at his comment and then narrowed.

"Excuse me?" She continued to glare at him when he ignored her. She tried again. "What do you mean?"

"You live the life that she wants you to live," he said unemotionally.

His face held no expression at all. Suddenly, she was beginning to get an idea of what kind of man her brother was. She found that she hated his calm exterior and his smooth, emotionless voice. It angered her that he criticized her as casually as one comments on the weather. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't let this pass.

"Don't judge me as if you know me." His face remained impassive. He remained silent for so long that she thought he had chosen to ignore her.

He spoke, surprising Serena. "If I have offended you, I apologize." The tone of his voice continued to be emotionless, and Serena wondered if he was even sincere, but his apology confused Serena. What was with the sudden politeness? Perhaps she didn't have her brother figured out. He was an enigma, a walking paradox.

If the silence had been awkward before, it was nothing compared to the silence that pervaded the car now. Neither spoke a word until they arrived at their destination. When Serena spotted her friends lounging under a large beach umbrella, she politely thanked Darien.

She was getting ready to step out of the car when he said, "I'll be back for you in four hours."

Serena grimaced inwardly, not knowing if she could handle another hour-long car ride with him. "My friend won't mind giving me a ride home."

He nodded in consent.

Serena almost gaped. That was it? He didn't even try a second time to offer her a ride. Realizing that she must have looked like an idiot sitting there and staring at him, she quickly got of the car. Darien drove off without a glance in her direction. No matter how many times Darien did or said something that confused her, she didn't think it was possible for her to feel any less confused.

How was she supposed to live with him for the next four years of her life?


	2. Chapter 2: The Apartment

Older Brother

Chapter 2: The Apartment

Only three hours were left until landing. Serena sat in the window seat huddled in a blanket. The seat resembled a small sofa, and the leather felt uncomfortably cool against her bare legs. Darien sat next to her in the isle seat perusing through what she assumed to be papers that needed to be signed for her father's investment banking company.

Claiming that he was too old for the fast-paced lifestyle of New York City, her father had retired some years ago from investment banking to live in Tokyo with his family. The company that had been founded by her great-great-grandfather and run by her grandfather and then her father was now in the hands of a family friend. This company was also the company that had recruited her brother for an insanely high yearly salary. Serena only knew this because she had overheard her father socializing with his friends in his study over cigars and a bottle of scotch.

Biting her lip and shifting in her seat, Serena chided herself for drinking so much iced tea. She glanced over to her right to see her brother still reading his documents and lamented in the fact that she was too nervous to ask him to let her pass. Mentally kicking herself for being so cowardly, she glanced at him again out of the corner of her eyes while continuing to shift in her seat. The air-conditioner on full blast didn't help the situation either. Thinking over the situation she was in made her almost groan in mortification. _If only my friends could see me now._

Amid her embarrassment, she was suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to see her friends again. It saddened her and frightened her at the same time that she didn't know when she would see them again. Hearing the sound of paper being put away, she turned to face her brother only to see him walking away and disappearing behind the curtains. Normally she would have wondered where he was going or even followed him to find out, but her curiosity was trampled out by her urgent desire to use the restroom. Taking his absence as her chance, she hurried to the unoccupied lavatory.

When Serena returned to her seat, she found her brother back in his seat, blocking her from getting to hers. Wordlessly and without looking up from the papers in his hand, her brother stood up and moved out of the way. Her hasty effort to return to her seat led her leg to bump into the armrest, which caused her to fall forward. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact but her head remained pain-free. Blinking rapidly from the shock, she slowly realized that she was hanging from her left arm, which was currently being held by a tan hand. Following the tan arm, her eyes landed on her brother's blank face. He let go of her arm, causing her to fall lightly in her seat.

"Thanks." Her voice was muffled as her face was facing the window, almost touching it. She was positive that her face was bright red and didn't want to risk appearing even more embarrassing in front of him.

The rest of the flight lacked any kind of interaction between the two, which relieved Serena. Forcing herself to yawn to ease her ears, Serena lagged behind Darien, dragging her two suitcases. Her eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness as she exited the brightly-lit airport. Looking down at her watch, recently adjusted to New York time, she saw that it was a little before midnight. It could have been the darkness or the long flight, but her eyelids began to feel heavy and a real yawn escaped her mouth. She was glad when they finally arrived at his car._ Mercedes._ _Figures. _

Serena would have contemplated how she felt about being in such close proximity with him so often, but when she opened her eyes she was looking at a white ceiling. She was in a bed with white sheets. She hadn't even known that she had fallen asleep. Her eyes widened with the realization that her brother must have carried her from his car to this room. Abruptly sitting up, she scanned the room. To her left, she saw her luggage in the corner of the room next to the closet. Also on the left side of the room was a vanity dresser that stood next to a door. To her right was another door.

Thinking that her brother must be around here somewhere, Serena got out of the bed and tried the door on the left. It was locked. _It can't be…_She twisted the knob again.

Running to the other side of the room, she wrapped her hand around the knob and turned. The door swung open, making her feel foolish. She smiled and shook her head. _Why did I think that he would lock me in? _

Ambling down the hallway and ignoring the coldness of the hardwood floor against her bare feet, Serena observed her surroundings. The walls were as bare as the walls in the room she woke up in. There were no pictures, no paintings, no tapestries. A few doors were scattered along the hallway but Serena, usually curious, didn't feel any compulsion to see what was behind any of them. Deciding that the hallway was too long, she walked faster.

The hallway opened up to a large living room that was also devoid of any decoration. The blinds prevented any light from filtering into the room, making it almost as dark as the windowless hallway. No plants or pictures could be seen. The only thing there was to say about the room was that it was impeccably clean. The gleaming silver from the flat screen TV and the DVD player and the sparkly clean glass surface of the coffee table added to the sterile vibe of the room. The black leather couches and armchair barely looked like they had been used at all.

Judging from the set of elevator doors she passed on her way to the kitchen, this apartment was a penthouse suite. The kitchen area also carried a sterile atmosphere with its metal utensils and marble countertop. _Definitely a man's house. _There was an island with three barstools and a small table not far away.

On the island, Serena noticed an envelope with a post-it note attached. Scrawled on the note were the words, "There's money for food a cardkey to the apartment in the envelope. I'll be back late."

Her jaw fell and an incredulous noise escaped from the back of her throat. And just where was she going to buy food? She was in a new place, with absolutely no clue as to where anything is and no one to call for help. Breathing a little harder from anger, she opened the fridge to check for food. It was empty besides a bottle of water. The cupboards were also empty. By that time, Serena started to panic as she realized that her brother actually did abandon her in an empty apartment in a foreign city. Picking up the phone, she began to dial Mina's number but stopped herself half way. _You can do this by yourself. There's no need to call someone that's on the opposite side of the globe. _

Still dressed in her clothes from the night before, she left the apartment with an envelope in hand. Arriving at the lobby on the first floor of the apartment building, Serena was amazed by how ornate the interior of the building was. It was hard to believe that her brother's apartment was in a building that was almost its complete opposite.

"Morning Miss Shields." Serena whipped her head around to see a security guard smiling at her.

"Good morning Miss Shields." Soon, a chorus of greetings addressed to Serena could be heard throughout the large lobby.

Smiling uncertainly, Serena waved and was overcome with an urge to bolt out of the building as fast as possible. But she knew she could use this to her advantage and asked a receptionist for the location of the nearest grocery store. Oddly, the receptionist darted up from his chair and barely managed to stutter out an answer. Thanking him, Serena couldn't help but be reminded of Ami during her junior high years. Back then Ami was so shy that she couldn't speak to boys without sporting a severe nosebleed. Her eyes watered imagining her friends sitting around their usual table at the café they loved. _Stop being such a crybaby, Serena. _Wiping her tears with the back of her hand, she left the building in search of the grocery store that was supposed to be only one block away.

It was already ten o'clock and her brother was yet to be seen. The TV was tuned into a channel called HBO, and the show that was presently on was _Sex and the City_. Chewing on a carrot that she had bought along with other necessary food supplies to stock up the fridge with, she wondered if this was how women in New York lived. She frowned. If so, then she wasn't sure if she could adjust. Out of all the women, she was probably Miranda. Miranda seemed the least promiscuous. Serena wondered if people actually had sex that often.

While Serena was musing about the teachings of _Sex and the City_, the elevator rang, signaling her brother's arrival. The doors slid open, revealing the six-foot frame of her brother. Blushing and feeling oddly guilty, she hurriedly turned off the TV.

Darien didn't spare Serena a fleeting glance and headed down the hallway to his room. Remembering that she was planning on giving Darien a piece of her mind about today's events, Serena abandoned her half-eaten carrot and followed him down the hallway. Upon entering his room, he left the door open for her as an invitation. Instead of following him into his room, she stopped at the doorway. Walking into a lion's den to yank on his tail didn't seem like a smart idea, especially if the said lion resembled her brother even in the most remote sense.

"Did you want something?" His deep, soft voice brought chills down her spine. Her throat suddenly felt dry and her eyes followed his movements while he undid his necktie and slid it off of his neck.

Clearing her throat, she questioned, "Well, don't you have anything to say to me?"

He gave her an indifferent stare as he proceeded to unbutton his shirt. "No."

Resisting the childish urge to cover her eyes, Serena shifted them to the ceiling.

"Today, I woke up to find you gone and only a note to tell me that you would be back late."

His cold eyes stared back at her. _He certainly isn't trying to make this easy._ Beginning to get a little frustrated, Serena removed her eyes from the ceiling and looked directly at Darien. His shirt was now off and only a white undershirt remained.

"The point is, you didn't leave me your number."

His brow lifted a little, the only change she saw on his face since he had returned to the apartment.

"You want my number?"

Serena let out a frustrated sigh. "No! Well, yes, but that's not the point."

Soon she realized her mistake and began again. "What I mean is, I'm still new to the city. You left me with no directions, no explanations, and no number to call in case of an emergency. How could you— "

"Did you find what you needed?" He cut her off with his velvety voice that now contained only a hint of curiosity, not concern.

"Yes, but—"

"I don't see the problem here."

Glaring at him, Serena opened her mouth but couldn't find the words. It was true that she had easily found the grocery store. She did manage with little difficulty to buy everything she needed.

When he began to unbuckle his belt, Serena took this as a cue to leave and stomped down the hallway into her room, slamming the door with force.

She had been dreaming of a pair of hauntingly black, inexpressive eyes when a resounding knock on the door jerked her out of the dream. The aftermath of sleep still evident in her appearance, she opened her door to discover the main character of her dream standing before her.

"Forgive me for disrupting your sleep."

By the looks of it, he didn't look very contrite. She looked up at him warily. He opened his hand and presented before her a small cell phone.

"This is yours."

Serena looked up at him in surprise. He got this for her? Was this because she had told him that she wanted his number? Careful not to touch his hand, she took the small object from him, examining it.

"Our mother thought you needed one."

If she hadn't been too tired to smile in the first place, she was sure that she would have felt the smile fall immediately from her face. She gave him a polite "thank you" along with a tight smile. In return he gave her a small nod and started to walk away. As Serena was about to close her door, he stopped and spoke over his shoulder.

"Your bathroom needs repair, so feel free to use mine until it's fixed."

She nodded even though she knew he couldn't see her. Mentally, she noted that this was the longest he had ever spoken to her. Closing the door and planning to return to the bed, she winced when she caught her reflection in the vanity mirror. Her hair was a tangled mass on the side of her head and her eyes were puffy. But she was glad that she hadn't chosen that night to drool in her sleep. _Maybe a shower is a good idea._

The word to describe his bathroom was white. Everything from the shower curtains to the towels was white. It looked like a hotel bathroom. She was stepping out of the shower stall when she heard the sound of the elevator. _Darien's back already?_

Looking around for her clothes, she recalled with horror that she had come to the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body and no clothes. Unknowingly, she held her breath when she heard footsteps in the living room. A vacuum cleaner being turned on could be heard. _He came back to vacuum?_ Finding the idea odd, she wrapped a towel around her body and peeked out into the hallway.

A forty-something-year-old woman in some sort of blue uniform was wielding a vacuum cleaner, bobbing her head along to the music coming from a pair of earphones. Cautiously stepping towards the woman, Serena almost screamed herself when the woman noticed her and shrieked while leaping a few inches off of the ground.

"I'm so sorry!" The woman began to apologize profusely. "I didn't know anyone was in here! It won't happen again, I mean, there's usually no one in here during this time of the day and—"

"Oh it's alright," Serena smiled, "I'm sorry for frightening you and distracting you from your work."

"I promise it won't happen again. I never make these mistakes and it will never happen again." The woman looked jumpy and anxious.

Faintly puzzled by the woman's anxious behavior, Serena offered her a small smile and walked back to her room. The employers in this building all seemed to be a little tense. _Being overworked could do that to you I guess._

Serena was dressed casually in a pair of jeans, a white t-shirt, and a cap. The elevator rang its bell, signaling its arrival. With no particular agenda for the rest of the summer, Serena had planned for the day to familiarize herself with her college campus.

The elevator stopped at the fifteenth floor, and two young women wearing receptionist uniforms stepped in.

"But anyways, it's too bad."

"Yeah, but who cares, he's the perfect male specimen. And he's filthy rich." The women giggled.

"Are you serious? Even after all those stories you've heard?"

"Are you saying you wouldn't die for a shot with him?"

The brunette laughed. "You're sick."

"He's sexy in every single way possible. Those smoldering eyes, that silky black hair…"

"And his voice is unbelievable."

"Even his name is sexy. I definitely wouldn't mind being Mrs. Shields."

Serena's widened eyes fell sharply on the two women. She barely noticed when the elevator arrived at the first floor and the women walked out. The doors threatened to close her in again, but a gloved hand shot between the doors and the door slid back open.

"Miss? Are you getting out here?"

Serena looked up at a middle-aged security guard, noticing him for the first time.

"Yeah. Sorry."

She stepped out of the elevator, unconsciously walking towards the front entrance. What kind of stories about her brother were those two women talking about? Were they that horrible? What was "too bad?"

Her curious mind swirling with unanswered questions, Serena walked out of the building, oblivious to the choruses of greetings addressed to her.


	3. Chapter 3: Two Fish in a Bowl

Older Brother

Chapter 3: Two Fish in a Bowl

She eyed him as he came out of the elevator and went straight to his room as usual. To say that the past week had been uneventful would have been too generous. Serena was beginning to feel tired of her new lifestyle already. The excitement of sightseeing only lasted a couple of days. Shopping could only do so much to distract her from boredom. Lounging around the apartment made her feel lazy and caused her to resort to eating food to occupy herself.

The conversation that she had overheard was still fresh in her mind. Every night for the past week, her brother had left for work before she woke up and returned way past dinnertime. He was either a workaholic or he didn't come home straight from work. She was becoming more and more suspicious of his behavior. Since the day she had moved in, it was as if they weren't living together. They never ate together or even conversed. If Darien wanted to say something, he left her a note, only doing so when it was absolutely necessary. Each time Darien came home, Serena had tried to initiate small talk without success. Apparently she was the only one who wanted to get acquainted with her roommate.

She blamed the two women for her interest in her brother's private life. Immediately ruling out directly questioning her brother for obvious reasons, she didn't think it would be wise to walk up to the women and demand they explain what they were talking about a week ago. They would think she was a psycho stalker. Or worse, they might recognize who she was, and having confronted them would have all been for nothing, as they would never tell Darien's sister anything.

Sighing, she dove face down onto the leather couch. The black leather was beginning to look more worn, thanks to her days of relaxing and pigging out. The apartment also looked a little more lived in. Looking at the fishbowl she had purchased along with two fish, she smiled with pride. She rolled off the couch and wandered over to the glass stand that carried the bowl, leaning over it.

One of the fish was almost completely black except for the small spot of orange under its left eye. The other fish was its opposite, entirely orange with the exception of a black spot on its tail. She had picked these two for this reason. She liked the idea of an opposite pair. It made sense.

Opening the plastic bottle of fish flakes, she pinched a few flakes and sprinkled them into the bowl. The yet nameless fish swam to the surface and proceeded to swallow the flakes. Fascinated, she bent over and watched them.

"What is that?"

Startled, she straightened up, dropping the open bottle of fish flakes.

Darien was standing before her, a red envelope in his hand. He approached her until they were a foot apart. Serena held her breath and looked up at his towering form. He looked down and met her rounded eyes with his expressionless ones. The eye contact was broken when he crouched down and started picking up the pieces of fish food. Blinking, Serena shook her head and bent down to help him.

Finding her voice, she said, "I just bought them today. Do you like them?"

His long fingers continued to pick up the flakes one by one from the floor.

"I have no need for fish."

She frowned. Did he mean that he wanted her to get rid of them? He didn't seem too bad though. After all, he was helping her clean up. But was it because he didn't want to see his floor so dirty? Her mind flashed back to the maid that seemed almost too intent on keeping the apartment clean.

Keeping her eyes on him, she looked down at her hand in surprise when it accidentally grasped his. She let go immediately. Darien hadn't seemed to notice at all and carried on with cleaning up her mess. Serena suddenly felt foolish for thinking much of the situation. Embarrassment was becoming too familiar of an emotion lately. To prevent the emotion from growing, she attempted to carry on the conversation.

"I haven't named them yet. Do you have any suggestions?" Deciding to try her luck, she gave him a friendly smile.

"What you do with your fish is none of my concern." All of the spilled flakes now in his hand, he filled the bottle that he took from her. Standing up, he set the bottle down on the stand, next to the fish bowl, and walked into the kitchen.

It took Serena a moment to understand the double meaning behind his words. Without saying so, he had told her that the fish could stay.

Smiling, she called out, "I was thinking Darien for the black and orange one and Serena for the…other black and orange one."

Shutting her eyes tightly, she hit her head for her stupidity. She had gotten too distracted by the prospect of having an actual conversation with Darien that she had forgotten to think before speaking. Would he think she wasn't worth his time anymore? Did he ever think she was worth his time?

When she opened her eyes, she spotted something red. Lying on the floor was the envelope Darien was holding when he came into the room. She looked to see if Darien was still in the kitchen. Seeing him pour himself a drink, she let curiosity get the best of her and leaned over to the envelope.

On the envelope was written, "To Darien & Serena."

Taken aback by seeing her name, she opened the envelope and pulled out a card.

"It's a dinner invitation."

Looking up from the floor, she saw her brother swirling the drink in the glass. Ice clanking against the glass cup could be heard. The invitation was from Mr. and Mrs. Price. The time and place were written in gold, cursive letters.

Serena guessed that he probably saw the perplexed look on her face when he spoke to her. "Mr. Price is a friend of our father and the current CEO of Shields Enterprise."

"Oh." Serena's eyebrows creased in thought. "Then why am I invited?"

"They want to welcome you."

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. She hadn't expected the dinner to be meant for her.

"It's formal attire," Darien spoke quietly with his smooth voice before he turned and left.

Serena took notice that Darien never spoke too loud, just loud enough to be heard. In fact, she couldn't imagine him ever raising his voice. _He's scary enough._

The next day, Darien invited Serena to accompany him to an exclusive club that she had once read about in a magazine. A club wasn't Serena's type of atmosphere, but she didn't dare refuse for this was the first time Darien had shown interest in spending any time with her. But she did wonder why Darien had suddenly decided to include her in his life. Perhaps it was the dinner next week. They never had dinner together, and starting next week in front of others in a five-star restaurant might be slightly awkward. This sounded reasonable enough. She only hoped she didn't have to dance.

Serena put on a pair of light jeans and a tank top. She would have opted for her usual t-shirt, but somehow she had an inkling that she probably would stand out too much. Darien was picking her up at nine o'clock. Looking down at her watch, she saw that she only had a couple of minutes left and headed out.

At exactly nine, Darien's car drove into the circular driveway in front of the building. The valet opened the passenger door for her as she got into the car. Once she was in the car with the car door closed, Darien glimpsed at her briefly with a vacant expression and drove off.

The club was nothing like Serena had anticipated. Instead of the lively strobe lights and blaring music she had expected, dim orange lights lit up the entire club and soft jazz music wafted through the air. Her fears of having to dance were unfounded as everyone was seated at the bar or in booths, drinking colorful alcoholic beverages and having calm conversations. Darien was leading her to a circular booth seated by six people.

"Darien," a blond-haired man noticed the pair first and raised his hand. The other people around the table all turned their heads. They looked surprised, but not unpleasantly so, that Darien was standing before them. After everyone greeted him, they stared with curiosity at Serena who was standing a little behind Darien.

"Do my eyes deceive me, or did Darien bring a woman with him?" The speaker was the same blond-haired man who had been the first to greet Darien. His green eyes were bright with mirth.

"I've known you for a long time Darien, but I didn't know you were into the innocent type," another blond-haired man spoke with a mischievous glint in his green eyes.

Serena looked up at Darien, waiting for him to clear up the confusion. She was appalled when he didn't say anything and sat down in a chair that one of his friends pulled up for him. Glaring at him in aggravation, Serena opened her mouth to explain but was cut off by the only woman seated at the table.

"I thought Tokyo was supposed to be one of the biggest fashion capitals in the world," she said, eying Serena's clothes.

Scanning the group, Serena was beginning to feel intimidated by everyone's beautiful clothes and perfect features. Although the comment added to her insecurity, Serena found that she didn't really have a response. Darien was still reclined in his chair staring off into the distance. The blond, blue-eyed man pulled up another chair for her.

"I'm Andrew. Nice to meet you," he said, putting out his hand before her. The man who came to her rescue wasn't the one she was expecting, but she was grateful nonetheless.

"Jed." The blond, green-eyed man saluted her from his sprawled-out position. There was something predatory about this man, Serena decided.

"My name is Zoe. It's a pleasure meeting you." Serena thought he would have tried harder to be more masculine because his name was so feminine, but this was not the case as his hair was too long to be considered manly. She resolved that she probably should be taking better care of her hair if a man could get his hair to be so wavy and glossy.

"Nikolos, but you can call me Nik," he said, winking. These men seemed like soap opera characters to Serena, who had never been around such men while living in Tokyo going to an all girls' preparatory school. The boys that she came in contact with were boys, not men, enjoying video games and pulling pranks on girls.

"Keane." How someone his age already had a head full of silver hair she didn't know.

Noticing her staring at his hair, he explained, "I've had silver hair since I was born. It runs in the family."

Serena's mouth formed an "o." He stayed true to his name; he certainly was keen. She laughed inwardly at the pun.

"I'm Lita. And you are?" The brunette who had made the fashion comment spoke to the point. Her hair fell in long, flowing waves, making Serena feel inferior with her plain blond hair pulled to the side of her neck in a loose ponytail.

"Serena Shields." Purposely stating her surname, she looked on as realization was shown on their faces.

"So you're Darien's cousin!" Lita exclaimed as if everything made sense now.

Jed laughed. "I knew she wasn't your type, Darien."

Serena shook her head and said, "No, I'm his sister."

Looks of astonishment could be seen around the table. Their eyes swung back and forth between her and Darien and finally landed on Darien, as if they wanted Darien to tell them that she couldn't possibly have been telling the truth. Darien ignored their looks and walked towards the bar for a drink. It was Lita who broke the silence.

"Darien never told us he had a sister!" Lita smiled at Serena, throwing her off a bit. "Nice to meet you Darien's little sister."

Humiliated was how Serena felt. Her brother had brought her here and subjected her to his friends, neglecting to tell her that they didn't know he even had a sister. During those years that he had known them, he had never mentioned her, not even once. No wonder they were so surprised. And she had idiotically proclaimed to everyone that she was his younger sister like it was something to be proud of. She was absolutely mortified. Was this his intention? To clarify that he had never acknowledged her as his family and never will? Intended or not, both of these made it clear to Serena that she didn't matter much to him.

When tears started to blur her vision, she ran out of the club, away from those people, away from the man that was her brother only by law. Walking to the subway station, she blinked back the tears. He probably hadn't noticed she was gone. If he had, she doubted he would care. From what she had seen so far, he was devoid of any emotion. She never knew how he felt about anything, if he felt at all. It was entirely possible that he never told his friends about her because he forgot that her existence.

Serena had never felt so utterly alone. She carried a last name that wasn't hers and lived with a stranger in a strange land with no one to confide in. Maybe she would be better off living in a dorm when classes started. At least she would be living with people her age, socializing and making new friends. It would be better than playing the part of the little sister to a cold man who rarely acknowledged her presence.

After a long subway ride, she entered the lobby of the apartment building unaware of her surroundings when she collided with a pile of boxes and was knocked to the ground. Dazed, but not hurt, Serena was suddenly surrounded by people who were bombarding her with questions. The boy who had been carrying the boxes was pale and wide-eyed. Scrutinizing his features carefully, Serena remembered that he was the same boy who had given her directions to the grocery store.

Before she could say "sorry," a man appearing to be in his fifties wearing a black business suit pulled the boy aside and waved him away. His face was grave and rigid. The man came back and offered his hand to help her stand up.

"Are you alright, Miss Shields?"

She took his hand and stood. "Yes, I'm ok. Thank you."

The man looked relieved. "I will be sure to take care of everything."

Serena wasn't quite sure what he was going to take care of, but nodded.

"Well then, I don't believe that it will be necessary to notify your brother about this." It sounded more like a question.

Wanting to escape from the spotlight, Serena nodded and stepped into an open elevator. Was that man crazy? Did he think that she was going to go crying to Darien just because she had a little fall? She snorted, attracting the attention of the other passengers. Little fall or big fall, she doubted Darien would even care, much less come to her aid.

After swiping her card key and pressing the number 35, Serena arrived at the apartment. Throwing herself on the couch, she looked over to the fish bowl. The two fish were at the bottom of the bowl, taking pebbles into their mouths and spitting them back out. Serena made her way towards the fish. Opening the bottle of fish food and dropping the food into the bowl, she watched as the fish immediately swam to the surface and began to swallow the food. The black fish seemed to be getting more food than the orange fish.

She glared at Darien the fish. He was one selfish fish. Didn't he care what was going to happen to the fish Serena at all? Annoyed, she stuck a finger into the bowl with the intention of scaring the dark fish. When Darien nibbled on her finger instead of swimming away in fright, Serena narrowed her eyes in irritation. _Trying to play cute, huh? Bastard. _

Suddenly, an image of the real Darien nibbling on her finger popped into her head. Disturbed, Serena shook her head vigorously. Really, she didn't know what was wrong with her.

Walking back to the couch, she lied down and began to recap the day's events. Darien must have known that her being his sister would have come up sometime during the night, but he still brought her there, not even giving her a warning. Also, she had been living in New York for a little over a week now, giving Darien plenty of time to tell his friends that his sister had come to live with him. The more Serena replayed the day's events in her mind, the angrier she got. By the time the elevator dinged with Darien's arrival, Serena was seething with anger, ready to tell him exactly what was on her mind.

When Darien headed to his room, Serena practically stomped after him. She was met with a door when he entered his room and closed the door behind him. Puffing out a bit of air in indignation, she barged into his room without knocking. She blinked a few times to adjust to the darkness of the room.

Darien was lying on his bed with his eyes closed, still in his suit. The sight further angered Serena. Violently flipping on lights, she stomped over to the bed.

"Can we talk?" Serena crossed her arms, waiting for his response.

He opened his eyes slowly and looked at her with vacant eyes. "No." His eyes closed again.

Gritting her teeth in rage, she began her tirade, "What in the world were you thinking bringing me to a place like that? You've known those people for so long but you never bothered to tell them that you even had a sister!"

Flushed, she paused to breathe. "And how could you let _me_ be the one to tell them that? I mean, you couldn't even take one minute before you took me there to tell at least one of them that your sister was living with you now, and yes you do have a sister?"

There was nothing on his face that showed that he had been listening to her. He was still on the bed, unmoving with his eyes closed. If anyone were to walk in at that moment, they would have thought that he was in deep sleep.

Serena glared with resentment and prodded him with a finger. There was no response.

Her mouth opened. She couldn't believe he had fallen asleep during her tirade! Glowering at him, she put her hand on his shoulder and pushed just as he snapped his eyes open. He grabbed her wrist and pulled hard, causing her to fall on top of him.

They were now face to face. Darien looked into her eyes that contained shock and fear. His eyes were hauntingly dangerous while at the same time conveying nothing.

"Bold." He said quietly.

Serena gulped, employing all of her willpower to keep her eyes on his.

"But I will not be disturbed in my own room to be the target of a temper tantrum." Closing his eyes once more, he let go of his tight hold on her wrist.

Pride forced her from jumping off of him and running out of there at once. Ignoring his temper tantrum comment, she slowly got off of him without touching him too much and left his bedroom.

When she arrived at her room, she let out a breath that she didn't know she had been holding. It suddenly clicked why the employers in this building seemed tense, why the cleaning lady was so overly anxious, why the receptionist boy was so jittery, and why the manager didn't want her brother to know about that one incident. The reason was Darien. They were all terrified of him. Serena could see why. Her mind went back to the conversation between the two women in the elevator. The stories they mentioned were probably horror stories.

Serena shivered, recalling the look in his eyes. There was a cold nothingness in them that had frightened her. Though it was considerably past midnight, she found herself unable to sleep.

Morning came and the sound of a phone ringing woke Serena. Grabbing her cell phone from the nightstand, she answered. No one was on the other side and the ringing continued. She deduced that the sound was coming from the living room and got out of her bed. When she answered the call, it was from a receptionist downstairs.

"Good morning, Miss Shields. There is a woman by the name of Lita Greene who wishes to be let up. Should I allow her up?"

She voiced her consent, taken aback by her visit.

A couple of minutes later, Lita stepped out of the elevator and right away, she began looking around the apartment. Even after spotting Serena, she continued to inspect every corner. Finally finished, Lita sat on the couch. Serena hadn't noticed last night, but Lita towered over her by at least six inches. She watched Lita warily. Perhaps she had come to accuse her of another fashion crime.

"I've never been to Darien's place before. He never allows any visitors besides Andrew."

Having nothing to say to the woman, Serena said disinterestedly, "Really?"

"Andrew told me that you guys were going to a formal dinner next week. Is that right?"

"Yeah."

Lita smiled brightly, throwing her off a bit. "So you need a dress then. I know a great place we could go to today."

Serena didn't have much of a choice, because as soon as Lita finished her sentence, she linked arms with her and proceeded to drag her towards the elevator. Grabbing the cardkey off of the island just before she was pulled into the elevator, Serena was acutely aware of Lita's monstrous strength.

As they arrived at the lobby, Lita continued to drag Serena along until they were standing outside in front of a black sedan. A driver stepped out of the car, crossed over to the other side and opened the door for them. Serena felt Lita's hand on her back pushing her until she was inside of the vehicle. Lita followed her soon after.

"Fifth avenue, Mark," said Lita to the driver. She then turned to Serena and smiled. "This is my driver, Mark. I'm a horrible driver myself and I detest public transportation. You just never know who's touched what."

Automatically liking her less, Serena didn't respond and looked out the window in an attempt to avoid conversation.

Lita sighed. "Look, I'm sorry about what I said yesterday. I can be too frank sometimes." She smiled brightly and held out a hand. "Let's be good friends."

The first thought that came to Serena's mind was that there was no way that they could ever be friends. But Serena had always believed in second chances.

"Ok," said Serena, shaking Lita's offered hand.

"Great!" Lita exclaimed.

Soon after, the car stopped in front of a department store, and Serena found herself being ushered into the store by an eager Lita. Upon entering the luxurious store, Serena immediately knew that she couldn't afford even the cheapest dress. She would have to use the credit card that her parents gave to her before leaving Tokyo. The thought made her uncomfortable as she wasn't one to splurge on designer clothing. It had always been her mother who had bought brand-name clothing for her, insisting that she wanted the best for her daughter.

Picking a random dress, Serena looked at the price tag and gasped. The dress cost almost as much as the tuition fee for one semester of college! There was no dress that caught her eye and she wasn't about to spend that much on a dress that didn't look out of the ordinary. Not interested at all in purchasing any of them, Serena pretended to scan through the dresses when she felt a tap on the shoulder.

"Need help finding anything?"

Serena turned around with the intention of declining the offer when she saw the brown-haired man from the club.

"You're…"

"Nik," he said, smirking. "I'm impressed that you remembered my face, considering the situation last night."

She flushed with mortification, recalling how she ran out of the club in tears. Recovering, she retorted, "Do you always hang out at the women's section?"

He laughed. "Interesting. I saw you as the meek type."

At her slightly agitated look, he smirked and answered her question. "Only when I have to. I'm the head manager of this department store."

"Oh." _So the jerk actually has a respectable job._

"Nik's family owns the whole department store chain and Nik manages this one." Lita had appeared holding a few dresses.

_Ah, so he's had help from his parents. Makes sense._

He raised an eyebrow. "Lita, you're here too? And with her," he said, pointing to Serena.

"Yeah," said Lita, grinning. "And you're going to give us a good deal on a dress, right?"

Smiling, Nikolos turned to Serena and said, "Of course. For Darien's little sister, it's on me. I'll notify customer service."

Shocked that he would willingly give her such an expensive dress for free, Serena shook her head. "Oh, I don't think—"

"Thank you, Nik! You were always my favorite," gushed Lita, cutting Serena off before she refused.

For the next three hours, Lita made Serena try on almost every single dress in the store, most of them too revealing or gaudy for Serena's tastes. After much urging on Lita's part to choose a dress without thinking of the cost, Serena decided on a dress and a pair of shoes, both of which earned Lita's approval.

Their next stop was a coffee shop at which they had promised to meet Nikolos for a cup of coffee. They had already ordered their drinks when he arrived, attracting the attention of nearby females.

Waving excitedly, Lita yelled, "Over here!"

Nik grinned and made his way over to their table.

"Good afternoon, ladies. How was shopping?" He promptly waved a waitress to the table and ordered a shot of espresso. The coy smile that the waitress gave him didn't go unnoticed by Lita, who looked at the woman with disdain.

"What the hell was that?" Lita asked icily, glaring at the man seated across from her. Her demeanor was now completely opposite from that of when he first walked into the café.

As if sensing danger, Nik turned his attention to Serena. "So, Serena. It's a shame you left so early last night. Is something wrong with you and Darien?"

Taken aback by his blunt manner of speaking, Serena shook her head and said, "No, why do you ask?"

He looked thoughtful when he responded. "Well, yesterday after Darien left, Andy told us something that Darien had said to him years ago."

"What did he tell you guys?" Lita questioned, her anger easily replaced with curiosity.

"Well," said Nik, looking hesitant, "apparently, when Andy found out that Darien had a younger sister and asked him about it, Darien told him that she was dead."

"That's horrible!" Lita cried out. "Why would he say something like that? Serena, are you guys getting along okay?"

Hurt, Serena sat there, oblivious to Lita's questioning. Did Darien want to erase her from his life so much that he fabricated her death? She had suspected that he wasn't happy with her adoption, but wasn't this too much? Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply, collecting herself before she made another scene. She hurriedly searched her brain for another conversation topic.

Evading Lita's question, Serena asked, "Is Darien really close to this Andy person?"

Nikolos was scrutinizing her face carefully, noticing her discomfort and sudden dark state. Lita seemed to have shrugged it off, opting to answer Serena's question.

"If it's even possible for Darien Shields to have a friend, then that would be Andy. You met him last night, remember?"

Remembering a person named Andrew with blond hair, Serena nodded. "What do you mean by 'if it's even possible?'"

Nikolos chose this moment to speak up. "Darien seldom tells anyone anything and he likes to keep to himself. If he does say something, he would most likely say it to Andy. Andy's known him the longest out of all of us."

"It adds to his mystery factor. That's why there are always rumors about Darien circulating out there," Lita added, sipping her cappuccino.

Lita's comment called to Serena's mind the conversation between the two women in the elevator.

Trying to sound nonchalant, Serena asked, "What kind of rumors?"

"Well—"

"Lita, we should be leaving now. Otherwise we won't make it to the dinner appointment in time." Grabbing Lita's arm, Nikolos effectively pulled her up to a standing position.

Looking a bit baffled, Lita asked, "Serena, you'll be alright heading back?"

Suspicion had begun to sink in, but Serena smiled and said, "I'll be fine. You guys go ahead."

Watching their backs as they walked away from her, she frowned. There was definitely something that they didn't want her to know about Darien. She found herself wishing to meet this Andrew person. If he was her brother's only friend, then he must know a lot about him. She vaguely wondered how she could contact Andrew. It was a shame that Lita had left before she could ask her for his number.

When Serena arrived at the apartment, her brother was seated on the couch, much to her surprise. This was the first time that he had been home in time for dinner. He continued to sit there apparently in deep thought, ignoring her presence. She didn't think he was aware of her arrival until he spoke, startling her.

"You're late."

She frowned. It was true that she had come home later than usual today, but she was always home before him. So how did he know that she was back late?

"I went shopping."

Dropping her bags down on the floor, she walked into the kitchen, trying to ignore the tense atmosphere.

"Did you have dinner?" She asked as she looked through the cabinets for a pot. The loud sound that the cabinets made as they closed were almost a comfort to hear in the silence that pervaded in the room.

"No." She didn't have to glance back to see that he was still on the couch with the usual blank face.

"I'm making spaghetti. Would you like some?" Looking over her shoulder, she smiled at him when he nodded.

There was exactly enough to make two servings. A little nervous, she began to prepare the noodles. She was ashamed to admit that she still wanted to please him. She was still piqued, but she guessed there was no point in holding a grudge. Her mother had always told her that thinking bad thoughts about someone made one ugly. And he was her brother after all. It would be best if they just tried to get along.

With the noodles cooked and the sauce done, Serena took out two plates.

"Dinner's served!" She said cheerfully, putting down two plates full of pasta on the kitchen table.

Darien walked over the table and sat down opposite Serena. She watched as he took his first bite. His face showed no change as he continued to eat. A bit disappointed at the lack of reaction, she dug into her own, wondering why she even expected any reaction from him in the first place.

"Your friends seemed nice yesterday," said Serena, keeping her eyes on her dish.

"Hn."

"They never visit you," she continued, cautiously looking up at him through her lashes.

Ignoring her, he carried on eating silently.

Hoping to get a chance to talk to Andrew, she suggested, "We should invite them over for dinner sometime."

Darien paused in his actions and stared at her across the table.

"Why?"

At his question, Serena rapidly searched her mind for an excuse. "Well, it seems like you're really busy with work, and I just thought that you'd like it if you could take a break and relax a little with your friends in your own home."

He kept his blank stare on her, making her fidgety.

"No."

His blunt rejection didn't deter her.

Deciding to play the guilt card, she said quietly, "I think some company might be nice. I don't really have anyone to talk to here."

"You have your fish." Apparently he didn't have any compassion. Was that comment supposed to be funny? She narrowed her eyes.

"Well, they don't exactly talk back. Besides, Darien's a real bastard to Serena and I can't stand watching the mistreatment."

Her eyes widened. The words had accidentally slipped out of her mouth without her knowing it. She was sure that he wouldn't miss the implication of her words. She was done for.

Afraid, she looked at him only to see a slight smirk gracing his face. It was the closest thing to a smile that she had ever seen on his face and she was struck by how handsome he looked. She almost let out a sigh of relief until he leaned over the table with the cold expression back on his features and murmured a warning.

"Choose your words carefully."

He stood up, the chair making a loud noise against the hardwood floor, and headed towards his room.

Her hands had been unconsciously clenching her seat and she unclenched them as she leaned back into the chair. She put her hand over her chest. Her heart was pounding rapidly. His coldly vacant eyes were possibly the most frightening eyes she had ever seen.

Author's Note: Thank you for all the reviews! Sorry for the late update! I'm currently out of the country so I'm afraid that the next update will be much later. I'll try to write the next chapter whenever I get some free time.


	4. Chapter 4: A Moonlit Stroll

AN: Hi all! So sorry for the late update, but I was running about in Seoul and Tokyo. So much stuff to see there! Anyway, I have some stuff to say about the story.

1. Some have asked about the pairing and to answer this question, Serena and Darien are the main characters of this story.

2. This story may feel like it's going too slowly, but I really wanted to take time to establish the relationship between Darien and Serena so that it doesn't seem shallow and clichéd. Also the same for any other relationships that Serena creates.

3. When classes start, which is soon, I won't be able to update for a while as I will be busy stressing about life. Sorry in advance!

Older Brother

Chapter 4: A Moonlit Stroll

Her feet were killing her. It was definitely not a good idea to listen to her and wear heels. The brunette heiress sure picked the wrong day to forgo the limousine. Serena had met with Lita again. The heiress had taken her to all of the trendy places in New York, claiming that she wasn't a "real New Yorker" until she had been to the said places. Serena had to admit that she was beginning to like Lita. She just had to accept that Lita was an outspoken person who wasn't afraid to let one know what exactly what she was thinking. Kind of like Raye.

The walk to the apartment seemed like an eternity with her grocery bags and her aching feet. After she had parted ways with her newfound friend, Serena had realized that she was supposed to have gone grocery shopping today. She was about to enter the building when the security guards stopped her and took her grocery bags. About to protest, she opened her mouth but was interrupted when one of the guards spoke.

"We'll help you carry these, Miss."

Serena looked back and forth between the two security guards. Unnaturally big and bulky, they looked like they weren't going to take "no" for an answer. Nodding hesitantly, she walked through the revolving door with the two security guards on her tail.

Walking through the lobby, Serena looked on as the employers of the building greeted her a little too enthusiastically. Were they more jittery than usual today, or was it just her? Shrugging, she walked faster to the elevators to avoid the slightly scary greetings of the employers. She had thought that she was starting to get used to this phenomenon, but she guessed it was just something she would never get used to.

Darien was home again when she came back from grocery shopping. She had almost dropped her bags in fright when she saw his figure sitting on the sofa in the corner of her eye. Dressed in a black turtleneck and black slacks added with his black hair, he blended so well with the darkness that she wouldn't have noticed him if not for the slight movement of his hands.

Forcing her hear to beat slower, she said, "Back home early today?"

Dismissing her rhetorical question, he walked over to her in quick, long strides, taking some of the bags and setting them down on the kitchen counter.

Feeling grateful and pleasantly surprised by this, Serena shook her head. It was a depressing fact that a little generosity usually shown by a normal person made her this satisfied when shown by Darien. Thanks to him, her expectations of human beings were lowering by the minute. She murmured a "thanks" that unintentionally came out less than grateful and went about putting away the groceries in their respective places.

"I'm making ton katsu today," she said to him. Greeted by silence, she said, "Well, I'm going to try to make it. I've only seen mom make it. But don't worry, it doesn't look too hard."

Again, she was greeted by silence. She didn't know how the man didn't have an ulcer from keeping everything inside all the time. Then again, he was probably the type that liked to keep his thoughts to himself, unlike her self. She was so tempted to ask him how many sentences he had spoken in his entire life but she figured it sounded too much like sass. She really did want to know. But deciding that forming a good relationship with her brother was more important for now, she stored away her question for later.

"How was work today?" She knew it was a lame question but resolved that it was necessary nonetheless for conversation's sake.

"It was fine," he replied vaguely.

With her back turned to him, she rolled her eyes and childishly mimicked his reply.

Trying again, she asked, "How come you're home so early today? You usually come home much later."

When she turned to face him, he was staring at the TV screen.

She almost thought he was going to ignore her as usual until he said quietly, "I felt like it."

An exasperated sigh escaped her lips before she could stop herself. She wished he would at least attempt to continue the conversation. She was out of things to say to him already. This conversation was not a conversation between brother and sister by any definition. Was it too much for him to ask her how her day was? Even if he didn't exactly want to know, would it kill him to be nice?

Sighing again, she started, "My day was pretty nice. I saw Lita again."

At this, Darien turned to her with a lifted eyebrow. Noticing this reaction she continued.

"I know. What could I possibly have to talk about with Lita. At first I didn't like her and thought she was stuck up, but after spending a little time with her, I'm beginning to think she's pretty okay."

Darien was staring at the TV screen again, looking as if he had already decided to tune her out.

"She took me to all these places that I'd never been to before," she continued her one-sided conversation. "I had bubble tea for the first time. It was interesting, but a little tricky. You have to control how much tea you drink with the bubbles, because you don't want too much tea or too many bubbles left in the end."

Serena looked back to see Darien turning his head and looking at her with something akin to annoyance in his eyes. She couldn't be too sure if it was her imagination playing tricks on her, because he had already turned his head back towards the TV. Even after weeks of living with him, she still couldn't read him. Deeming her rambling to be an improvement from the silence, she began to talk again.

"I think bubble tea is my favorite drink now, thanks to Lita. We should invite her and some of your other friends for dinner sometime before I start school. I could cook—"

"That won't be necessary," he cut her off abruptly. Contrary to his calm exterior, she could feel the tension in the atmosphere. Maybe she was beginning to be able to read him after all.

"Why?" She put down the kitchen knife that she was using to cut the meat and put her hands on her hips.

He stood up and languidly walked towards her.

Leaning sideways on the wall with his arms crossed, he said, "I think the more important question is why you're so adamant about inviting them."

"Well," she began almost immediately, stalling for time to come up with a feasible excuse, "I told you before that I just thought it would be nice to host a little gathering."

His eyes narrowed a fraction as he looked into her eyes. She stood her ground and fought hard to hold his gaze. The task proved to be too difficult and she had almost looked away when he replied.

"No," he said simply.

Frustrated, she walked closer and looked up at him with narrow, blue eyes that clearly illustrated her aggravation. She had forgotten that he was much taller than her and now her neck was beginning to ache.

"Why not?"

"It's too troublesome," he replied, looking down his nose at her.

Puffing out a breath of air in irritation, she crossed her arms. She took in a huge breath of air in preparation for her next words.

"Don't you think it would be nice to actually socialize with people once in a while? Ever heard of human contact?"

She was looking up at him, hands still on her hips and cheeks slightly flushed. He bent down a little with a small smirk gracing his lips and put his lips next to her ear. The hairs on her neck rose, and she froze, feeling his light breaths on her ear. She hadn't expected him to come so close. Uncomfortably warm, she held her breath unknowingly.

"And do you think you know what human contact is?" His hand came up and gave her ear a light flick, causing her to wince not from pain but from sensitivity.

His smirk grew as he could feel the heat radiating from her cheek onto his face.

She hated herself for blushing, but it couldn't be prevented once she understood the implication beneath his words.

Casually withdrawing from her personal space as if nothing had happened, Darien walked away, and Serena swore she heard him say, "Didn't think so," as he disappeared into the hallway.

"Call me out when dinner is ready," he said louder.

She released the breath that she had been holding. Not exactly the type of human contact she meant, but she did at least get an answer. An answer she wasn't sure she ever wanted to think about, but nevertheless an answer. Obviously he was trying to make a point about his experiences with contact with the opposite sex. Or was he? If he was, then he also just insinuated that she was ignorant about the opposite sex. Maybe she was just over-thinking things. She touched her ear. Remembering his warm breath on her ear gave her goose bumps. Shaking her head in an effort to clear her mind, she went about trying to make dinner.

They ate in comfortable silence. Although she hoped for a more enthusiastic reaction from Darien at her successful ton katsu, she figured that a lack of reaction was better than a bad one and let it go. It was surprisingly Darien who broke the silence.

"The dinner is tomorrow. I assumed you've already made the preparations?"

A strip of ton katsu half way in her mouth, Serena looked across the table at him and blinked. Darien looked at her with cold amusement.

"Oh! Yes, everything's ready," she said after swallowing her food.

He nodded in approval and assumed eating.

"Oh yeah," she remembered, "I forgot to tell you. Your friend, Nikolos, paid for it. I tried to refuse, but somehow I ended up letting him pay. Now I feel guilty."

"Stay away from him."

That certainly came out of nowhere. She looked at him with wide eyes. It was rare to receive any reaction from Darien, and it surprised her.

"Why?" She asked tentatively.

"He has a way with women."

Was that concern she heard? Was she mistaken or was he actually beginning to show signs of acting like her older bother? Feeling a little lighter at the thought, she smiled at him.

"It would probably do you well not to associate yourself with those people," he said, eating the remainder of his food calmly.

She knew that she should be feeling miffed that he was telling her whom she can see and can't see, but she didn't give a damn at the moment. It was true that his face didn't show any concern, but it never showed anything anyway.

Unable to keep her smile down, she joked, "Is that how you call your friends? 'Those people?'"

"I don't believe in friends."

Her smile dropped almost completely. "Huh?"

He ate silently, and Serena waited patiently for him to continue.

"You're an open book," he said after a while, scrutinizing her face.

Frowning, she said, "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It's not safe to be so naïve," he replied.

His infuriating smirk now in place, he fixed his impossibly dark eyes on hers, the smirk growing as a tiny blush formed on her cheeks. A dark, silky strand of hair fell loose and hung over his eye, making him look dangerously handsome. She felt as if in a trance as she stared into his eyes.

"There are plenty of people who would be glad to take advantage."

The chair skidded on the hardwood floor almost falling over, when she snapped out of her trance at his words and stood up.

Nervously looking at anything other than the man in front of her, she said, "I'm done with mine, how about you?"

"Hn."

She picked up their plates and escaped to the kitchen. At arriving at the kitchen, she breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the sink. She didn't think being around her brother for too long was healthy. Putting a hand over her chest, she waited until her heart calmed down. Her heartbeat slowly turned to normal after a short while and she turned around to see the cause of her problem standing before her with the rest of the utensils and cups, making her jump and her heart rate to speed up again.

He walked over and put the silverware down.

"What's the matter?"

His voice lacked concern, strangely betraying his words.

She gave him a little smile and a nod, but something told her that he already knew what was wrong with her. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable with their close proximity, she took a step back and laughed nervously.

"I think I pushed myself too hard today. Who knew walking around New York City nonstop for a whole day could be so tiring?" Laughing awkwardly on the outside, inwardly she grimaced at how idiotic she sounded.

"Hn." He took his eyes off of her face and went to the living room, taking out his laptop and laying it on the coffee table.

She supposed that was the answer he liked to give whenever he thought giving an actual answer was too bothersome or pointless. It was a word that she was becoming well acquainted with unfortunately. Putting on rubber gloves, she turned on the faucet and began to rinse the dishes.

"Don't bother washing the dishes."

Smiling, she turned to face his direction.

"That's okay, I—"

"I don't hire the maid just to waste my money." His eyes were fixed on the laptop screen.

Pouting, she took off her gloves and inwardly complained about his penchant for abruptly cutting off people. It was odd that it only felt severely arrogant when the act was done by her brother.

Now that she was out of chores, she guessed she really didn't have a reason to stay in the living room any more, and this surprisingly brought the feeling of regret to her stomach. When she thought about returning to her room, it made her feel wanting more. More of what, she didn't know, but somehow the thought of parting with Darien didn't agree with her.

So she sat down. Right next to him.

Not knowing what to do next, she unconsciously started to play with the hem of her cotton skirt as a nervous habit. She sat still, not wanting to disturb him.

Amused by the girl in his peripheral vision, Darien spoke, causing her head to snap in his direction.

"Did you want something?" His eyes never left the screen and his fingers continued to type as he spoke to her.

Feeling like a distraction all of the sudden, she stood up.

"I forgot to feed the fish," she said, giving him an embarrassed smile. Half-jogging to the fish bowl, she grabbed the food and leaned over the bowl.

"How is Serena?"

She stopped her actions his words.

"Oh," she said after realizing his question, "She's not doing as well as Darien. He keeps eating most of the food and keeps bothering her, chasing her around the bowl and stuff."

Having completed the task, she screwed the cap back on and finished, "She's doing well for now, but if Darien keeps this up, I don't think she'll survive much longer."

The corners of his mouth faintly curved upward.

"Are you talking about the fish or the human?"

Serena frowned and a dense silence fell over the room.

"The fish Serena," she said, breaking the silence, and after a short pause added, "of course."

"Hn."

This sound, apparently, had many uses. Still frowning, she turned to go to her room, not liking the new atmosphere of the room.

"Andrew will be picking you up tomorrow afternoon at seven. I have a meeting to attend so I'll be going straight to the restaurant from work."

Eyebrows lifted in surprise.

"Really?"

Whatever happened to "stay away from his friends?" She could never understand him. But in her opinion, today was a vast improvement. They spoke more words to each other today than they had on any other day. Falling on her bed and taking her shoes off, she fell asleep almost immediately after her head hit the pillow.

Serena woke in the morning and felt odd as she took in her room. Something felt off to her, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Slowly and carefully searching with her eyes, she found that something.

The door to her bathroom was open. She had been used to seeing it closed as it had been locked the entire time she had lived here. So it was finally fixed.

She froze. Her bathroom door was open. Last night when she went to sleep it was closed. Someone had entered her room without her knowledge while she was asleep. Looking down at her body, she sighed with relief and eased up when she saw that she had fortunately chosen to wear an extra baggy t-shirt to sleep and not her usual white tank top.

She stilled. Certainly, Darien wouldn't have fixed her bathroom. This would mean that a plumber had come to her room early in the morning. An uneasy feeling rested in the pit of her stomach. She didn't feel too comfortable with the thought of a strange man busting into her room while she was unconscious. _But Darien busting into the room while I'm unconscious is okay?_ She shook her head. _Of course. He's my brother. _

Standing up, she strolled to her bathroom in anticipation. Reaching the opened doorway, she looked in and gasped.

Never could she have imagined that something so gorgeous was lying behind this door. The bathroom was decorated in pink, white, and gold. The size of the room also shocked her. It was more spacious than her walk-in-closet, which was not a small one by any means. It was also much more extravagant than her brother's, much to her amazement, with a cylindrical shower stall made of glass and outlined with gold, a Jacuzzi, a toilet with a bidet, and two sinks complete with a giant mirror that lit up at the edges. The faucets and the handles were gold-colored. The mats, towels and the soap were all a light pink color that seemed to liven up the bathroom.

Unable to prevent a girly giggle from escaping her throat, she ran to the Jacuzzi and turned on the faucet. She couldn't remember the last time she took a bubble bath. Turning off the water when it nearly filled the tub, she stripped off her pajamas and stepped in, sighing contently. She didn't realize that she was dozing off until she heard a knock that jerked her wide awake.

"Yes?" She called out, wondering the identity of the person behind the door. It couldn't have been Darien, because he usually went to work early in the morning. Maybe it was the maid?

"It's me." She sat up straight, surprised at hearing the soft, smooth voice belonging to her brother.

"I need to talk to you. I'm coming in."

Eyes big with fear and shock, she shouted, "No!"

Panicking, she debated her options. She could quickly get out of the tub and run to the door, locking it in the process. Or she could quickly get out of the tub and run to the towel rack for a towel that she could wrap around herself. Or she could turn on the bubble bath faucet and at least create foamy bubbles in the tub for some modesty. Already hearing the doorknob turn, she chose the last option.

Sinking deeper into the tub, she turned on the faucet, which now began to leak bath gel in slow motion. _Damn it, go faster! _Crossing her arms over her chest, she looked to the opening door in dread.

Looking sharp in his black business suit and silver tie, Darien strode into the bathroom, his demeanor calm. As he stood before Serena, he looked down at her beet red face, indifferent to her extreme discomfort.

She wanted to die. Avoiding looking at him, she glared at the faucet. _Stupid faucet, hurry it up! _She looked down at body and wanted the water to swallow up her whole body and drown her. The water was still unfortunately as clear as a sunny day and the few batches of bubbles that had managed to form were oddly attracted to the walls of the Jacuzzi, giving Darien a full view of her body.

"I have to leave right now, but about tonight," he started, watching her as she attempted to regain some modesty by gathering the bubbles towards her with one hand, the other hand having difficulties with covering her breasts.

"Don't bother. I'm not interested," he said dryly. Sure enough his voice was as indifferent as ever and his face showed not even the slightest interest. One could even say that he almost looked bored.

The bubbles fizzed out. _Damn bubbles. Mocking me. _She didn't know if she should be insulted or relieved. At the moment she was feeling more insulted than relieved.

"Pay close attention to what you say at the dinner."

What was wrong with her body anyway? She huffed a little in indignation.

"And don't trust what they say word for word."

Her body was one of the best in the class in high school. And why would he think that she thought he was interested? Did he want her to want him to be interested? Because she obviously didn't. She seethed inwardly, completely oblivious to his warnings.

"I'll see you tonight." With those words, he left her alone in the bathroom, shutting the door behind him before she could say anything.

After watching his back as he left, she shot a nasty look towards the faucet. It suddenly gave a few spurts and began to release a jet stream of bubbles. _Smug little punk. _She angrily kicked the handle and shut it off, observing in satisfaction as the stream slowly died out.

The phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. _What now? _Getting out of the tub and wrapping a towel around her body, she answered.

"Hello?"

"Hi, is this Serena?" A masculine voice spoke on the other end.

Not recognizing the voice, she asked, "Yes, may I ask who's speaking?"

"Hi, Serena. This is Andrew. I'm a friend of your brother's."

"Oh!" She exclaimed quietly in recognition. His voice was warm and friendly, unlike her brother's.

"Darien asked me to pick you up tonight."

"Yes, he told me last night. Thank you," said Serena, feeling honestly grateful.

"No problem. I just wanted to remind you that I'll be coming by at seven."

It was strange how she could practically feel him smiling over the phone even though she had only met him once. She found herself smiling at his genteel manner.

"Got it. Thank you."

He chuckled.

"No need to thank me twice. I'll see you tonight at seven."

"Bye."

She wondered how it was possible that a cold-hearted man like her brother could ever become friends with such a nice, polite man like Andrew. It was difficult to imagine her brother having friends, period. But in a way, it made sense that Andrew was the closest to her brother out of all the men she saw at the club the other night. He seemed like the only one who could put up with Darien's ego, as the other men seemed to have big enough egos themselves.

The day went by quicker than Serena had hoped. After getting back into the Jacuzzi for a water massage to relieve her calves, she had gone out to a cozy café for lunch. She had been more tired than she had thought from spending yesterday with Lita, because as soon as she had returned to the apartment, she had collapsed on the couch and woke up to the DVD clock flashing, "6:14."

_Shit. _

Wide awake and feeling a sudden burst of adrenaline, she rolled off the couch and landed ungracefully on her bottom and half-crawled, half-ran to the bathroom. Time was never her friend, and it certainly was not at the moment. It seemed as if she had blinked and the world had decided to press the fast forward button.

The clock read, "6:55."

She moaned. What the hell had she been doing all this time? Hair still needed to be curled, make-up still needed to be done and legs definitely needed to be shaved.

Emptying the contents of her make-up bag onto the bathroom counter, she quickly applied the make-up, eyeing the clock every few seconds to make sure time couldn't cheat her again. Lacking the time and the skills to apply as much make-up as she wanted, she settled for a barely-there look and hoped for the best. When she was finished putting on the mascara, the phone rang, signaling Andrew's arrival.

The clock read, "7:00."

_Wow. Can he get any more punctual?_

"Let him up," she said into the phone just before hanging up and running back to the bathroom.

A minute later, she heard the elevator open. _Shit._ Putting down the curling iron, she jogged barefoot into the living room.

"Hi, Andrew. Have a seat! I'm really sorry, but do you think you could wait a few minutes?" She spoke rapidly.

Andrew took in her appearance from her head to her toes. Her hair was oddly mismatched with only a few strands of her hair curled and the rest of the strands straight and limp. From what he could see, she barely had make-up on. Nevertheless, she was a pretty girl. But what caught his attention was the gaping white, silk robe that could have passed for translucent.

"Uh, sure," he let out slowly, unable to take his eyes off of the opening of the robe. The robe was in disarray and the curve under her breasts could be made out from between the folds.

Following his eyes, she gasped and closed her robe hurriedly. _Great._ Just how many men was she going to flaunt her body to today? Blushing madly, she swiveled around and walked rapidly to her bathroom.

He shook his head and banged his head on the wall. The last time he checked, he wasn't the type of guy that openly gawked every time he saw a skimpily dressed, attractive female. Running a hand through his hair, he sighed. This was a great first impression to give to a woman. Especially a woman that was a younger sister of a friend.

When Serena finally finished and gathered up the nerves to face him, she walked out into the living room with what she hoped looked like a confident strut. Andrew also seemed to have trouble looking her in the eyes as he smiled at her shoes and silently led her through the elevators. The atmosphere couldn't get more awkward.

Time seemed to betray her once again and slowed, making it a long and awkward trek to his car. They finally arrived at his car, and Serena vaguely thought that his car was nice. It was another luxury car, as could be expected of all of her brother's acquaintances, but the thing that she liked about the car was that it was almost homely. Plushy pillows were strewn about in the back seat of his car and small stuffed animals sat next to the headrests. It was a little too girly for a man his age, Serena noted.

Starting the engine, Andrew noticed her roaming eyes and followed her gaze. He winced. He was in such a hurry from his work that he had forgotten to take those out.

"Those are for my niece," he explained as he drove out of the parking lot.

A look of understanding came upon her eyes at this information.

"How old is she?"

"She'll be turning five in a month. She's prone to jumping around a lot whenever she rides a car."

"Hence, the pillows," she finished for him.

She noticed a small smile that rested on his lips at the mention of his niece and found herself wistful.

"You must be really good to her."

Embarrassed, he shook his head and laughed.

"Not as good as I should be."

Serena smiled and she was again shocked by the vast difference between him and her brother. Andrew was so sweet and caring. She couldn't shake off the feeling of wistfulness. Darien would never treat her like that.

"Darien's going to kill you."

She looked at him in alarm.

"You're going to be late. Darien despises tardiness."

She moaned. She hadn't thought about that. If only Andrew could be her brother instead. He would fit the role perfectly. He was also blond and blue-eyed. As soon as that thought entered her mind, she shook her head, ashamed that she could even think this way. She of all people had no right to be picky about her family. It wasn't right to be ungrateful.

"Don't worry. I'm sure he'll be easier on his little sister," he spoke, interrupting her from her thoughts.

Those words that were meant to be comforting did not help to alleviate her worries and left her even more anxious. There wasn't a chance that Darien would be easier on her just because she was his sister. He had never favored her before and he wouldn't start today.

Now that Darien was brought up, she didn't think Andrew would mind if she asked him a couple of questions.

"You seem really close to him." She looked sideways at him.

"It depends on the definition of 'close.'"

She quirked an eyebrow.

Turning to her and seeing her inquisitive look, he elaborated.

"By normal people's definition of 'close,' we're not close at all," he said, grinning, "but by Darien's definition, I guess you could say that we're close."

Seeing his easy-going grin brought a smile to her face. It had been so long since she had had a light-hearted conversation. Andrew reminded her of her friends back home, and she was hit with a pang of sorrow. She had not noticed until now that she had not had a companion that she could easily converse with since her arrival in New York.

Realizing that Andrew must have been waiting for some kind of response on her part, she snapped out of her reverie.

"I see. What's Darien's definition?"

"I don't know if I can answer that question directly, but let me put it this way," he began, "Darien is unapproachable to most people except for a select few. He doesn't trust anyone. He doesn't even trust me completely yet. But we're at that point where we at least understand each other."

Serena looked down into her lap in concentration. His answer certainly was not direct, but she was beginning to understand the gist of it.

"Why doesn't he trust anyone?"

She could tell that the question was a difficult one as he creased his brows in thought, trying to come up with the best answer.

After a pause, he replied with a playful grin, "When you look like Darien with as much money, you're bound to attract attention."

_His grin is too contagious. _

Laughing, she retorted, "But that doesn't answer the question."

"I was hoping you wouldn't notice," he said, chuckling. "Darien's had a lot of shit happen to him in his lifetime because of his status."

She had no idea his life was so trying, but it did make sense. He seemed to have everything in his grasp at such a young age. Unlike many others, he was born into wealth and had always lived a privileged life. Who wouldn't harbor ill will towards a person so seemingly perfect? It was a bit heartbreaking.

"So that explains his demeanor," she commented quietly.

"Not at all."

"What?" She enquired, taken aback.

"Darien would never let himself be affected by something like that. He's just a cold person," he clarified with a grin.

Serena laughed. As much as she wanted to know more about Darien, it just didn't feel right to continue questioning Andrew. The rest of the car ride consisted of playful banter and joking. When they had arrived at their destination, it was all too soon, and she caught herself already missing his company. Especially when she was met by the steely gaze of her older brother.

Thanking Andrew and getting out of the car, Serena turned to face Darien. He was the picture of composure, but she knew otherwise. Any other person wouldn't have been able to see the difference, but Serena could tell from the small tick in his jaw and the slightly darker gaze that he was angry.

She cleared her throat to begin her apology when a tanned hand grabbed her hand in a fierce grip and placed it on the crook of his arm.

Flabbergasted, she asked, "What are you—"

"Smile," came the icy reply just before he led her past the hostess and into the elevator.

She was about to retort that he shouldn't demand that of her when he never cracked a smile but decided against it when she took a glance at his face. It was probably not a smart idea to start a fight when he was already irritated enough as is. She sighed, knowing that she was going to have to face the consequences of her tardiness later.

Arriving at the top floor, they stepped out of the elevator and were led without delay to a large round table seated by a family of four. A man near her father's age noticed their arrival and raised a hand.

"Darien, have a seat," he said smiling, then looked to Serena. "This must be Serena. How do you do?"

The man held out a hand, which she took.

"How do you do?" She repeated, smiling back.

"Welcome to the Big Apple!" He exclaimed mirthfully. "Meet my family. This is my wife, Denise."

The elegant woman seated next to him gave a faint smile and held out her hand for her to take.

Seated to the right of Mrs. Price was a young woman with red hair like her mother's. She gave a tight smile and introduced herself as Anne. Unlike her parents, she kept her hands folded in her lap, refusing to offer a handshake.

To the right of Anne, a young man with brown hair, whom Serena assumed to be the son, stood up and introduced himself as Alan. He held out his hand, but when she gave him hers, he bent down to give it a kiss, keeping his eyes on hers. Unable to keep the blush from forming, Serena smiled, embarrassed.

As Alan moved to pull out the chair next to him for her, Darien beat Alan to it and pulled out the chair next to Mr. Price, lacking any expression. Darien appeared bored as he took a seat in the chair that Alan held out after Serena had chosen to sit next to Mr. Price.

"Selena, I love that dress you're wearing! You must tell me where you bought it!"

It was Anne who had spoken. She had a sickeningly sugary smile on her make-up caked face, looking over Serena's outfit.

The dress was beige, backless and sleeveless with a modest neckline and a brown ribbon wrapped high on her waist. It was a fairly loose dress, ending below her knees. All in all, it was the complete opposite of Anne's. While Anne's dress was flashy with bright-colored floral prints, Serena's was simple and demure. The neckline of Anne's dress plunged deeply, revealing her breasts. _Probably fake. _

Before Serena could correct her, Darien informed Anne in her stead, surprising her.

"Serena."

Her smile dropped completely before she caught herself and laughed, giving Darien playful gaze.

"Right. Serena."

If Darien was aware of her gaze, he didn't show it. He took the cloth napkin in front of Serena and laid it across her lap. Her leg jerked slightly from the contact. She gawked at him. Ignoring her stare, he did the same with his napkin.

"So, Darien," Anne started, leaning over in an obvious attempt to give Darien a view of her breasts. "How's life? I haven't seen you at any of the usual hangouts lately."

He merely glanced at her briefly without bothering to turn his head.

"Hn."

Inwardly smiling, Serena was glad for the previously hated sound. _This one was definitely the you're-annoying-me one. _It seemed that Serena wasn't the only one astounded by his actions. Apparently Anne also couldn't overlook this as she tried desperately to strike up a conversation with Darien.

"I miss hanging out with you," she pouted, trying to establish eye contact.

_So desperate._ Serena thought, watching her movements. _They hang out? When? _Suddenly she felt a pang of jealousy, but refused to acknowledge it as she tried to push down the feeling.

Not showing any signs that he heard her, Darien turned to Mr. Price when the older man began to talk about the stock market.

The dinner was delicious, but it was an experience that Serena would not choose to undergo again if she was given the choice. It was enough that she was had to withstand Anne's desperate attempt to flirt with Darien, but she was forced to sit still under the scrutiny of Alan's roaming eyes. It was as if he wanted to talk to her but was holding back because of something. As the evening went on, she noticed him taking brief glimpses of Darien every now and then, and the reason for Alan's silence became clear. Darien was situated in between her and Alan, preventing him from speaking to her. She laughed inwardly at the thought. It wasn't as if Darien would care if Alan decided to strike up a conversation with her. However, Alan apparently disagreed as he continued to be silent. Mr. Price seemed nice enough though, and she found his jokes actually humorous. He also seemed genuinely interested in her likes and dislikes.

The evening looked as if it was about to end when Alan finally gathered enough courage to speak to her for the first time.

"The garden here is famous for its beauty at this time of the year. Would you care to accompany me on a stroll?" He asked, looking straight at Serena.

Alan focused on the beautiful woman, trying his best to ignore the man sitting next to her. He found it tough to do so as the man he had known since childhood was staring at him with a void expression. The steely blankness on his face was somewhat frightening. He knew Darien was infamous, and he wished that Darien's gorgeous sister would appreciate the risk he was taking for her.

Unsure of how to answer, Serena looked to Darien but found him facing away from her, his eyes focused on Alan.

"That's a great idea! Let's go with them, Darien," Anne gushed excitedly and was already on her feet.

After Mr. and Mrs. Price had expressed their agreement, the four headed out to the gardens. Serena admitted that the garden was indeed one of the more aesthetically pleasing ones out of the many gardens that she had visited in the past.

Her brother and the redhead trailed not too far behind. Looking over her shoulder, she was met with her brother's penetrating gaze. Alan seemed to have noticed this fact also and began walking a tad faster, guiding her with a hand on her back. She had no other choice than to mimic his stride as the cold hand on her bare back was unnerving. She looked over her shoulder as Darien seemed to get smaller and smaller, his eyes never leaving her form.

"I've heard a lot about you," said Alan, forcing her to turn back around.

"Hopefully good things," she joked, stepping a bit away from him. His hand refused to leave its place.

He smiled. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Her hair was illuminated by the moonlight, making it look almost silver. Her dress swayed lightly in the night breeze, outlining her curves once in a while. She looked ethereal.

"I'm surprised that Darien isn't parading around, showing you off."

Serena turned her head towards him, looking up at him questioningly.

"If I had someone as beautiful as you, I'd have you on my arm at all times," he said, his eyes fixed on her form.

Laughing nervously, she tried to pass it off as a joke. _What was with this guy?_ Either the moonlight was playing tricks on her sight, but there was something off about his intent look. She wrapped her arms around her waist, wondering if it was safe to be around him.

"I had wanted to meet you ever since I had heard that Darien had acquired another sister. You have definitely exceeded my expectations."

Serena slowed, frowning. _Darien has another sister besides me?_ Clearly, this man had received some incorrect information.

"Another sister?" She asked, voicing her thoughts.

He stopped, gaping at her.

"You mean you don't know?"

Dread was slowly creeping into her insides. By now she had stopped walking altogether.

"Know what?"

He mouthed a "wow" in amazement.

"Darien had a little sister named Diana, but she died in a plane crash about eight years ago."

A sharp intake of breath could be heard from her lips. Her enlarged eyes seemed to look through him as she froze deathly still in her place. Darien had a blood-related sister. Darien had had a blood-related sister who was now dead. Eight years ago. She was adopted eight years ago. Her heart sped up. She was adopted around the same time as Darien's real sister passed away. Why wasn't she informed of this? This couldn't possibly be true. There was absolutely no evidence of this Diana's existence anywhere in the house in Tokyo or in the apartment. Breathing became a lot harder and she clutched the soft material of her dress.

She turned to Darien with wide eyes only to see him walking towards her swiftly, taking off his jacket on the way.

"What happened?" He demanded monotonously, fixing his stare on Alan while throwing his jacket over her shoulders.

She continued to look at him with those wide eyes of hers, confusion swirling in its depths.

"We're leaving." He stated quietly.

There was an eerily calm edge to his voice that left no room for argument, and Anne and Alan stood still gazing at their backs as Darien led Serena away with a hand on her waist.


End file.
